IWAS Wheelchair Fencing have announced new Paralympic qualifier dates ©Getty Images

The International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) Wheelchair Fencing have announced new dates for the Paralympic qualifiers that were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously announced is the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Asian Championships in Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand, scheduled to take place from December 10 to 17.

Other events also rescheduled include the IWAS Wheelchair Fencing Americas Championships from February 28 to March 3 2021, although a host city for this event is yet to be confirmed.

The IWAS European Wheelchair Fencing Championships are scheduled to take place in their initial location of Hatfield in the United Kingdom from May 24 to 30.

There will also be an IWAS Wheelchair Fencing World Cup event in Brazil shortly before the Americas Championships, taking place from February 24 to 28.

IWAS President Rudi van den Abbeele said: "We are really pleased to be able to refresh and revive the pathway to Tokyo 2020.

"As some athletes now begin to return to training, we hope this offers them something positive to work towards after all the uncertainty of the last few months.

"We do however continue to monitor the situation to ensure that everyone attending any competitions will be safe.

"Not only that, but we must make sure that the field of athletes is strong and that any challenges such as travel restrictions have been broadly relaxed to enable maximum participation. 

"Our work, and that of the organisers, continues.

"I would like to thank them for their flexibility and efforts in providing the stage for wheelchair fencing's return."

It follows the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics to 2021, now taking place next year from August 24 to September 5 with the qualification window open until May 31 2021.

Currently, the calendar is set to restart at a World Cup event in Pisa in Italy from November 19 to 22.

Van den Abbeele added: "Again we are keeping a very close eye on things but at the moment we feel it's important, if we can, to offer athletes the chance to return to competition in Pisa without the immediate pressure of fencing for regional titles or achieving ranking points.

"If it is possible to offer the opportunity to ease back in a little bit after a very strange year, we will do so."

There are a total of 96 qualification spots for the Paralympics, 48 male and 48 female of which six spots will go to the hosts, Japan.